CSUN Student auditions for America’s Got Talent

Zechariah Walker, or better known by his stage name Zack, is preparing for his chance at becoming a contestant on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”. The junior music major spoke about his musical background and how he prepped for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

How long have you been a musician for?

I’ve been a musician since the 7th grade when I started a rock band titled Letters To Society with my friends. I play guitar and some piano.

How would you describe your music style?

I’m not quite sure if I could describe my music style. I like to think I’m pretty versatile in that manner. I could do R&B or hip-hop but I could also be on a Chainsmokers song the next week. I’m always looking for new things to try out.

Who are some of your musical influences?

Some of my influences are people and groups like Muse, Jimi Hendrix, Childish Gambino, Jason Mraz and the list goes on, honestly.

How did you amass such a large Twitter following and how important do you think that is for your music?

I got most of my followers when I started doing comic sketches and things of that nature. I’m a music major but I also love comedy so I do little skits and vlogs and have been since 2015 so I planned on gaining followers so that I could promote my music when the time came.

What is the process like for auditioning?

The audition process is fairly simple; you just sign up and then you go to a room and do whatever it is you signed up for.

How are you feeling leading up to the audition?

I’m feeling pretty nervous but mostly just excited for the opportunity to change my life and do what I love doing.

If you won “America’s Got Talent”, what do you hope will come from it?

I hope to win and feed my family and make sure no one has to go to bed hungry again, to show everyone I know that as long as you believe and work hard you can actually do whatever it is you dream of doing because I have a lot of friends who didn’t make it to my age and I have to do this for them and all of our families so people can still believe and hope for a better future.

Any tips for aspiring musicians who want to get their music and themselves out there more but aren’t really sure where to start?

I wish I had more tips to give but I don’t even have enough to remind myself of when it’s time to audition. I guess what I can say is to believe in yourself and even if you’re feeling nervous or scared just do it anyway because I would rather try and fail than to never know what could’ve been in the first place. As for where to start, I would recommend starting off online. Just for baby steps, YouTube videos and stuff like that will allow you to perform and show people what you’re capable of without having to battle stage fright on your first attempt at doing music. Sometimes all people need is to know that if they tried they wouldn’t fail. So, if you can release your content and get positive feedback without having to worry about getting booed or being the center of attention then I would totally recommend doing so because some people have incredible skills but are too afraid of being in front of crowds to display their gifts.

Check out Zack on YouTube -ZackOfAllTrades or follow him on Twitter @ZackofAllTraeds